Eight Easy energy saving Ideas
July 17, 2011 by Tim
Filed under environmental features, new building products, Renovating
1 Use an electric blanket to warm the bed and switch it off as you enter, rather than run a heater all night.
2 Take shorter showers. Try cold showers in summer, certainly would make for shorter showers.
3 Only use the Dishwasher and clothes-washer when its full. It is actually cheaper than washing, in a sink, each day. The dish washer, an clothes washer may have ECO settings.
4 Dress appropriately for the weather thus woollen long johns in winter, a jumper or wool ponchos in the evening. I have installed blankets on the living room couch.
5 Maintain modern appliances, with the highest energy star ratings, for example, the TV as a new 7 star rated appliance.The refrigerator can be a high energy user. New products like refrigerators from Europe are yet to be imported to Australia.
6 Windows should be made in low emissivity glass or even better as double glazed units. Cheaper Chinese imported Double glazing is now available from Bunnings and Masters.
7 Weather seal all your external doors and windows, sliding windows are particularly drafty. Use easy to apply stick on foam, floor seals and doors snakes.
8 Turn off all electrical appliances at the wall plug, to save ten percent off your bill.
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Valuations and environmental ideas
June 27, 2011 by Tim
Filed under environmental features, Renovating
Some energy and water saving ideas can improve the value of your home significantly. In the USA, environmentally, friendly homes can be valued at between 10% to 25% more than others. Homes have been energy star rated in Canberra, ACT, for many years.These homes have been gaining a premium price on any resale.The likely carbon tax, at $23 a tonne and rising, has only emphasised this trend. Some of the most popular environmental features include, cover windows, Double glazed windows, internal blinds, external blinds, ceiling and wall insulation, solar power hot water, water tanks, water wise aerated taps and showers, window and door seals, use the dishwasher ahead of the sink, all natural gas generate great savings appliances. There is a double benefit these features can be both good for the environment and save you on rising Utilities charges. In March, 2012, all Australian homes for sale or rent will need to be rated at least six star for environmental features. In the United Kingdom the legislation is for ten star rated homes. This will include renovations and improvements.
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Energy and Water efficiency measures
June 23, 2011 by Tim
Filed under environmental features, new building products
Reduce over heating by shading your windows with large eaves, awnings, external blinds, low E{emissivity} glass or double glazing. Carefully, consider window placement, North is great for the southern hemisphere, with less western or colder southern windows. Conserve light and heat by using the northern light window. Minimize required air conditioning with good design, thermal mass, insulation and cross ventilation. In colder areas, Hydronic heating using piped hot water is very efficient.The heat is usually generated by a gas boiler.
The advances in design and new products is proceeding every day, so watch out for cheaper, double glazed windows and double glazed skylights. A modern portable ethanol heater can be versatile, it is used both inside, for living areas and an outdoor room.
Ethanol Heater + Ethanol Burner & Grate Systems can be Easily Incorporated into your Existing Fireplace. Ethanol Burners can be placed into any functioning or non-functioning wood burning fireplaces with or without the damper open. There is no expensive installation required, no gas hook-ups, no more wood to chop. Perfect Solution for Locales with “NO BURN DAYS” or Do Not Allow Wood Burning Fireplaces.
It takes a lot of natural gas to run an ethanol plant. A plant needs steam to liquefy corn starch and heat to distill alcohol and more heat to dry the leftover distillers grains.
Burning natural gas to produce all that heat is the second largest expense at most ethanol plants – trailing only the cost of the corn used for ethanol production. One estimate says Iowa’s annual production of more than one billion gallons of ethanol accounts for about 16 percent of the state’s demand for natural gas. That has Iowa State University researchers working with an Ames company to develop a renewable and cost effective alternative to the natural gas burned by most ethanol plants.
The technology involves partial combustion of biomass – that could include corn stalks, distillers grains, waste wood or other biorenewables – to produce a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and other flammable gases. The resulting mixture is known as producer gas and it can replace natural gas in an ethanol plant’s heaters. The producer gas can also be upgraded to what’s known as syngas, a mixture that can be converted into high-value transportation fuels, alcohols, hydrogen, ammonia and other chemicals.
Producer gas is made by injecting biomass into a fluidized bed gasifier, a thermal system that pumps air up through a bed of hot sand, creating bubbles and a sand-air pseudo fluid. A reaction between the biomass and the hot sand-air mixture produces flammable gases. The process also generates its own heat to sustain the reaction. It’s a system that’s reliable, produces few emissions and can be efficiently integrated into a plant’s existing natural gas boilers.
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Bi-fold doors, via easy home renovating
May 24, 2011 by Tim
Filed under environmental features, new building products, outdoor rooms, Renovating
The building of a bi-fold door in Australia, has become a popular trend. A bi-fold will increase the size of a room, by opening it into an adjoining space, creating a large flowing area. Consider the environment that surrounds your home before installing a bi-fold door. A company like, Stegbar, will offer a full installation service,design and building the door.
FLW are experts at recommending the right bi-fold doors for your home as well as other improvements you may require e.g) windows,/door replacement or retractable screens. With over 33 years experience, we have a huge catalogue of improvements we have made to homes similar to yours and you can see exactly the result you will end up with.
Bi-fold doors are perfect for the Melbourne climate and come in range of sizes and styles. When closed, bi-fold doors allow natural light into your home whilst keeping the elements out. Simply fold back the doors and enjoy unobstructed views and excellent ventilation, turning a small room into an indoor/outdoor entertainment area. Bi-fold doors add value to your property by increasing the functional living area and removing the obstruction of a wall and allowing natural light to fill your home.
FLW use the Henderson tracking system for bi-fold doors and windows; one of the best available virtually eliminating any possible problems with tracks and rollers. Henderson use stainless steel hinges, 316 marine grade cast stainless steel and stainless precision bearings to ensure maximum strength and corrosion resistance. research from www.flw.com.au
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Raven weather sealing doors, windows, via easy home renovating
May 23, 2011 by Tim
Filed under environmental features, new building products, Renovating
 For doors and windows to function, they must have gaps between the edges of the frame and sill. These gaps are there to allow easy opening and closing whilst accommodating normal building movement. However these gaps can allow the intrusion of;
and also leakage of energy; heating and air conditioning.
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 The solution is to fit a Raven Sealing System that seals these gaps. Raven seals are frequently multipurpose, sealing against a combination of intrusions and leakages. Easily fitted they can provide a complete and continuous seal for all door & window types whilst not impeding their normal use. Established in 1950, Raven seals are fitted to millions of homes and 
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